The “Stuffed” That Dreams Are Made Of

The CDI announced three arrests and the service of 20 search warrants on 12 chiropractic offices, six banks and two residences as part of an operation by the Bay Area Organized Automobile Fraud Activity Interdiction Task Force. The task force is comprised of personnel from the CDI Criminal Investigations Branch’s Fraud Division, the California Highway Patrol, the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, and the National Insurance Crime Bureau. Several insurance carriers referred and assisted the task force by providing claim file information. Those companies include Allstate, CSAA, Coast National, Farmers and Mercury Insurance.

Arrested were two brothers, Oris Quintanilla, Jr., 27; Gerber Quintanilla, 23; and an associate, Erick Ramos, 27. The three men were arrested and charged with 49 felony counts, including 41 counts of insurance fraud and eight counts of grand theft. If convicted, the suspects could serve multiple years in state prison. The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case.

Investigators say that a group of individuals headed by the Quintanilla brothers were allegedly responsible for more than 59 auto claims related to collisions that occurred between 1996 and April 2001. Various insurance companies paid out in excess of $1 million as a result of these claims.

Task force investigators uncovered evidence that the Quintanillas were allegedly filing false insurance claims and making false statements in support of the claims. Investigators also allege that the Quintanillas were making injury claims for “stuffed” passengers, who were not present when the collisions occurred and were also aiding in the presentation of witness statements to support their claims when those “witnesses” were not present at the scene of the collisions.